JUMP START Blog and Online Community

A lot has happened in the last week in the world of inbound...check out the top five stories we think were the best of the best. 

1. The customer is always last: Looking at marketing from a different perspective (Forbes)
   An interesting take on not only inbound, but marketing as a whole. Learn how important data is, how to implement inbound strategy that will reach your consumer and how to let go of the "all" and hone in on the "best."
2. Five ways to create great B2B content (MarTech Series)
   You could post a blog an hour and never really see any results. Why is that? MarTech Series looks at what content works and how to do it. 
3. Why digital marketing campaigns fail & what you need to do to see real results (Business 2 Community) 
   If you've ever even THOUGHT about launching a digital campaign, this. is. a. must. read. Hint: purpose and strategy are key. 

Coming at you with the must-go-to marketing events of July. 

What?  MozCon

When? July 9-11, 2018

Where? Seattle, WA

The showstopper event that has something for everyone, from content marketing to SEO to social…MozCon is one of the most-anticipated industry conferences of the year. And if you need more convincing? This three-day event even has a friendly hugging robot, Roger – I mean, what more could you want from a marketing conference?

What?  Facebook Ads Summit

When? July 9-13, 2018

Where? ONLINE

We love online events, because packing your bags in the summer should be for vacation, not conferences. So put your suitcase back in the closet and post up at your desk for this online summit geared toward any marketer or biz looking to fine-tune their Facebook ad strategy. The live online training, put on by none other than our fave social media gurus at Social Media Examiner, will leave you in awe. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of the power and capacity Facebook has to offer, so you can generate revenue and further your brand-promotion through your Facebook ads.

So often, as content marketers and online digital strategists, we see the same thing in our clients. Fear.

Despite what they may say the reason is for not biting the proverbial bullet and taking the reins on their digital presence, more often than not, it’s the result of one little thing: fear of charging the unknown.

Most of us have figured out at this point that Content Marketing isn’t a magical powder that gets sprinkled on our marketing plans and suddenly, all of our
goals are instantly met. No, content marketing is nothing more than a tried-and-true formula. Effective application of that formula is what truly yields success.

Queue nebulous time warp squiggles back to the year 2015 when Flair Interactive posted the blog, What Should be Included in My Content Marketing Strategy. While the blog is on point in terms of building and executing on an inbound marketing plan, in 2017, we’ve taken some measures to perfect the formulaic fairy dust even more. As you dive into your plan this year, keep these additions in mind:

Create data-driven goals—this is still very much the starting point of your content strategy. While not much has changed here since 2015, you’ll want to make sure your goals are clearly defined and mutually agreed upon by everyone. Ensure your ‘wins’ or ‘milestones’ are marked and attainable. Finally…do your homework. Avoid arbitrary, executive-driven numbers. Look at your competitors, your metrics, what’s worked, and what hasn’t worked before getting to an achievable number.

As inbound marketers, it’s our responsibility to provide our clients the best-of-the-best in modern, customized marketing services. 

In 2009, we published a "Typical Projects Handled by Flair Interative" blog post and video that described our services. While we still offer all of the services described in that video, our core focus has shifted during the last eight years to focus on inbound marketing. But one thing remains the same...our number-one priority is to deliver high-quality solutions that get results for all of our clients, and we do that by delivering tightly integrated inbound marketing campaigns and services.

To us, marketing tactics shouldn’t be isolated instances. They shouldn’t be disparate solutions to immediate problems or what we like to call short-term, reactive goals. They should be proactive and strategic in nature with both immediate incremental and long-term wins in mind.

Interactive marketing is trending right in line as it was forecasted seven years ago. In 2009, Flair Interactive posted the blog, Interactive Marketing Has
Finally Come of Age. The blog cites an article by Forrester Research who forecasted that digital spending would nearly double in five years while ad budgets would decline. In fact, its exact predicted growth was a 9% increase in five years (from 12% of overall advertising spend in 2009 to 21% overall spend in 2016).

So, based on Forrester Research's prediction, let's get a pulse of where we're at as we enter 2017:

Overall Marketing Spend

• Digital marketing spending is predicted to grow 12% in the next year, while budgets for traditional advertising will fall to 2%. (The CMO Survey)
• B2B digital ad spending has increased 15% to $5.8 billion in 2014 — due largely to growth in native advertising, while display advertising is becoming less important. (MediaPost)

ASCEND is a two-day marketing summit hosted by AWeber Communications in Philadelphia, PA. ASCEND will take place from October 22 to October 24, 2014. 

Speakers will cover a variety of topics, including: email marketing and deliverability, advanced content marketing, conversion optimization, affiliate marketing, SEO, and social media marketing. AWeber customers will also have the opportunity to consult with AWeber experts and solutions team members to enhance their email marketing efforts.